Summary This position is located within the Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service. The Laboratory Manager shares, with the Director/Medical Director of Laboratory Service, full responsibility for managing and supervising all phases of laboratory service operations. The position facilitates effective unit processes through staff supervision, development and oversight of program budget and acquisition, and management of regulatory affairs and compliance. Responsibilities Total-Rewards-of-an-Allied-Health-VA-Career-Brochure.pdf Medical Technologist: vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Medical-Technologist-Career-Flyer.pdf Duties include, but are not limited to: Provide guidance and serve as an authority and subject matter expert on laboratory medicine, including research, agency policies, new techniques and procedures. Supervise a staff (18 direct reports) of nonsupervisory and supervisory personnel including at least one GS-12 subordinate. Provide direction and guidance to staff. Develop guidelines, assess laboratory effectiveness, establish and maintain quality assurance and quality management programs. Interpret and provide technical guidance on agency policies and procedures. Consult with or serve as a consultant for officials at the local, network and national program offices. Manage regulatory affairs and compliance. Keep abreast of current research, clinical methods, and technical advances in the field. Develop and manage program budget and resource utilization, inventory, acquisition and contracting processes. Responsible for the management of all service fund control points. Serve as a purchase card approving official and complies with all the acquisition regulations, both Federal, VA and local to include 8A, small business, Javis Wagner O'Day Act, and mandatory sources in accordance VHA Handbook 1730.1, Use and Management of the Government Purchase Card Program. Monitor to ensure that cardholders conduct daily purchase card reconciliation within the required timeframe and that reconciliations are correct. Assist and participate in educational programs affiliated with institutions providing training for individuals in laboratory or other related medical fields of study. Develop and integrate new techniques, and procedures into laboratory programs. Maintain coverage throughout the laboratory and active recruitment and personnel selection functions. Identify and correct problems, and identify ways of improving the efficiency of the service. Communicate and treat customers (veterans, their representatives, visitors, and all VA staff) in a courteous, tactful, and respectful manner. Functions or Scope of Assigned Duties: The Laboratory Manager/Chief Technologist serves at the medical center with comprehensive and complex laboratory services and has full supervisory responsibility for a large staff including GS-11 and GS-12 personnel. These higher-level duties consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty), and range of variety, and are performed by the incumbent 100% of the time. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm. Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not authorized. Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not authorized. Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases. When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of existing pay, higher or unique qualifications, or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade). Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child. Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66. Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Telework: Not available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized. Financial Disclosure Report: Not required. Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. You may be required to serve a probationary period. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. Qualifications Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. Education and/or Experience Combination: A bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university in medical laboratory science, medical technology, clinical laboratory science or in a related science (e.g., laboratory sciences such as chemistry, biochemistry, biology, microbiology, immunology, etc.). -AND- completion of a medical technology clinical practice program. Clinical practice programs completed after 1974 must have been accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS), Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP, formerly CAHEA), or the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). The professional curriculum may have consisted of a post-baccalaureate certificate program or be integrated into a four-year program of study that culminated in a baccalaureate degree. -OR- A bachelor's degree from an accredited college/university, including 16 semester hours of biological science (with one course in microbiology), 16 semester hours of chemistry (with one course in organic or biochemistry) and one course in mathematics, -AND- two years of post-certification clinical laboratory experience (e.g., blood banking, chemistry, hematology, microbiology, immunology, clinical microscopy, etc.) within the last ten years as a certified Medical Laboratory Technician by the American Society for Clinical Pathology Board of Certification (ASCP-BOC), American Society of Clinical Pathology Board of Registry (ASCP-BOR) or American Medical Technologists (AMT). This experience must include performing moderate and/or high complexity testing in blood banking, chemistry, hematology, microbiology immunology and clinical microscopy (or categorical experience which matches categorical certification) in a clinical -OR- A bachelor's degree from an accredited college/university, including 16 semester hours of biological science (with one course in microbiology), 16 semester hours of chemistry (with one course in organic or biochemistry) and one course in mathematics, -AND- five years of clinical laboratory experience within the last ten years performing moderate and/or high complexity testing in blood banking, chemistry, hematology, microbiology, immunology and clinical microscopy (or categorical experience which matches categorical certification) in a clinical laboratory. Foreign Graduates. Graduates of foreign baccalaureate degree programs meet the educational and/or experience requirements if the degree is found to be equivalent to degree programs recognized by the NAACLS or clinical laboratory experience as described in the second or third options listed above. This finding may be based on either of the following:(1) A letter from a college or university with a baccalaureate program recognized by the NAACLS stating that the individual's foreign degree has been evaluated and been found to be equivalent to its bachelor of medical technology degree. -or-(2) A letter from ASCP-BOC or AMT stating that the individual is eligible for the certification examination. Certification: Candidates must currently possess the appropriate certification as a MT, MLS, or CLS given by the ASCP-BOC, ASCP-BOR, or AMT. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must also be met: GS-13 Medical Technologist - Laboratory Manager Experience. You must have 1 year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level, which is directly related to the position to be filled. -AND- Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). You must demonstrate the following KSAs: Advanced knowledge of concepts, principles and methodologies of a major clinical laboratory program and operations in order to assess program effectiveness and provide authoritative guidance for operations, personnel, and management. Ability to work collaboratively with other disciplines, upper management, VISN level staff and/or VHA Central Office. Ability to plan and execute short- and long-range programs and/or goals through project management and tactical/strategic planning. Skill in administrative management (e.g., budgeting, contracting, procurement and property management) in accordance with VHA regulations. Ability to provide advisory, planning and surveillance services to clinicians, laboratory directors and supervisors on specific functions, programs or problems that are particularly difficult, widespread or persistent. Ability to solve complex problems involving unique or controversial aspects of medical technology or laboratory management, new or unconventional methods, program changes or conflicts between scientific/technological requirements, regulatory or program requirements (e.g., cost effectiveness). Knowledge of, and ability to, provide the full range of supervisory duties which includes responsibility for assignment of work, performance evaluations, selection of staff, and recommendation of awards, advancements, and disciplinary actions. References: VA Handbook 5005/72, Part II, Appendix G24 - Medical Technologist Qualification Standard, GS-644, Veterans Health Administration. Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary. Some work may require moment between offices, hospitals, warehouses, and similar areas for meetings and to conduct work. Work may also require walking/standing, in conjunction with travel to and attendance at meetings and/or conferences away from the work site. Incumbent may carry and lift light items weighing less than 15 pounds. Education IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.